ICC to meet soon, T20 WC debate swirls

India coach Ravi Shastri feels his board should prioritise the Indian Premier League over the Twenty20 World Cup, a schedule debate that is expected to soon heat up at the highest possible level.

Australia is due to host the T20 World Cup from October 18 until November 15, but the COVID-19 pandemic has cast doubt over the event.

Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts has flagged that a final call may not come until August, with the AFL and NRL keenly monitoring the situation given several venues have signed exclusivity contracts with the World Cup organising committee.

The International Cricket Council board, including CA chairman Earl Eddings, will have a video conference on May 28 to discuss the sport's path out of the health crisis.

The ICC cricket committee, which shapes the laws of the game and features CA executive Belinda Clark, is expected to meet next week and contemplate issues like the use of saliva to shine the ball.

Should the World Cup be postponed, as some Australian players feel is increasingly likely, or cancelled then the sport's superpower is expected to swoop in and claim that window for the IPL.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has indefinitely postponed its T20 bonanza, revealing that cancellation of this year's IPL would cost approximately $A820 million.

Shastri, a personal mentor of Virat Kohli's and the coach who steered India to their maiden Test series win in Australia, suggested domestic cricket then bilateral tours should be the focus of all boards as restrictions start to ease.

"What India's lost out on is domestic cricket - the IPL for instance. When cricket resumes, we could give the IPL a priority," Shastri told the Times of India.

"The difference between an international tournament and the IPL is that the IPL can be played between one or two cities and the logistics will be easier to manage.

"The same thing with bilaterals.

"It'll be easier for us to tour one country and play there at specific grounds, (rather) than 15-16 teams flying in during these times. The International Cricket Council needs to look at this objectively."

Roberts has enjoyed productive talks with the BCCI, with Kohli's team on track to tour Australia and take part in a series worth $300m in broadcast revenue to CA.

The BCCI is also believed to be ready to play additional ODIs in Australia, a godsend for CA given its financial crisis, but in exchange would want Australian stars to take part in the IPL.

Eddings and Roberts have worked hard to restore CA's relationship with the BCCI, which deteriorated in 2019 as India refused to reschedule an ODI tour.